A remote agent call center is functional by providing a softphone and agent bridge that allows maintaining an open telephone line to the agent's phone with or without an incoming call being connected. Incoming calls are merged into the agent bridge to allow the agent to conference with the incoming call. The softphone provides call control to allow the agent to transfer, terminate, hold, record, or the like the active call.
1. A system configured to establish a connection between a remote agent call center and a remote agent, where the remote agent initiates from a telephone a first contact with the remote agent call center and the first contact directly establishes a persistent voice connection, the system comprising:
an agent workstation;
a softphone;
a telephony switch;
an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) server connected to the softphone;
an interactive voice response interface connected between the softphone and the IVR server;
a web portal that allows the remote agent at the agent workstation to access client applications;
an agent telephone;
an agent bridge,
a softphone graphical user interface displayed at the agent workstation allowing the remote agent at the agent workstation to provide a group of controls consisting of: answering a call, terminating a call, holding a call, recording a call, and transferring a call; wherein
the softphone, the telephony switch, the IVR server, and the agent bridge are included in a remote agent call center;
the agent telephone is connected to the agent bridge through a telephone connection;
the agent workstation initiates, from the agent telephone, the first contact with the remote agent call center to establish the persistent voice connection;
the agent workstation first initiates a first connection to the softphone;
the softphone provides a phone number and pass-code randomly and dynamically to the remote agent;
the remote agent dials the phone number and is connected to the IVR server;
the IVR server prompts the remote agent to dial the pass-code;
the IVR server contacts the softphone to verify the pass-code for the phone number dialed by the remote agent;
the first contact directly establishes the persistent voice connection;
the persistent voice connection is established between the agent bridge and the agent telephone;
the softphone is connected to the telephony switch;
the agent bridge is connected to the softphone, the telephony switch, and the agent telephone, such that the IVR server transfers the agent telephone to the agent bridge, such that when an incoming call is received at the telephony switch, the telephony switch can connect the incoming call to the agent using the agent bridge and when the incoming call is disconnected, the persistent voice connection between the agent telephone and the agent bridge is maintained;
the agent bridge and the telephony switch are connected by a network other than a public switched telephone network; and
the agent telephone is a voice over internet protocol phone and the connection between the agent telephone and the telephone switch comprises a voice over internet protocol gateway.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a workstation and the softphone are connected through a network connection.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the softphone is integrated in the workstation.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control server.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a real time monitor.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the softphone is connected to the telephony switch through an Internet connection.
7. A method of providing remote agents where a remote agent uses a telephone to initiate a first contact with a remote agent call center and the first contact directly establishes a persistent voice connection, the method performed in part on a processor comprising the steps of:
receiving a request, from an agent telephone, to establish the persistent voice connection between an agent bridge of the remote agent call center and the agent telephone;
in response to the request, providing a phone number and a passcode randomly and dynamically from a softphone to a workstation of the remote agent;
connecting the agent telephone to an interactive voice response (IVR) server;
prompting, by the IVR server, entry of the pass-code;
contacting, by the IVR server, the softphone to verify the pass-code for the provided phone number;
displaying a softphone graphical user interface to the remote agent, the softphone graphical user interface allowing the remote agent at the agent workstation to provide call controls consisting of: answering a call, terminating a call, holding a call, recording a call, and transferring a call;
permitting access to client applications through a web portal;
establishing and maintaining the persistent voice connection between the agent bridge of the remote agent call center and the agent telephone by the remote agent call center, wherein the persistent voice connection is initiated from the agent telephone;
transferring an incoming call to the telephony switch to connect the agent telephone and the incoming call to establish an active call;
controlling the active call;
disconnecting the active call when the active call is disposed such that the persistent voice connecting between the agent bridge and the agent telephone is maintained; and
repeating the transferring, controlling, and disconnecting steps until the persistent voice connection is terminated; wherein
the agent bridge and the telephony switch are connected by a network other than a public switched telephone network;
the agent telephone is a voice over internet protocol phone and the call between the agent telephone and the telephone switch comprises a voice over internet protocol gateway;
an interactive voice response interface is connected between the softphone and the IVR server; and
the agent telephone is connected to the agent bridge through a telephone connection.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of recording the active call.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of transferring the incoming call to another persistent voice connection with another agent and maintaining the persistent voice connection with the agent.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of indicating an agent state.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transferring step includes establishing a 3-way voice communication link prior to completing the transfer to another agent.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the workstation and the softphone are connected by an Internet connection.